Later that night, Sakura tried to pull the same trick as last time—insisting on staying over at Kyousuke's place.
But this time, he firmly refused.
They were still in middle school. If she kept staying over at his place… well, certain "authorities" might not be too happy about that.
On the way back to school, the air had cooled, and Sakura was now wrapped in Kyousuke's jacket.
The road was dark and quiet, save for the occasional passing car. The wind rustled the trees before everything fell still again.
On their side of the single-lane road, the lone headlight of his Rocket 33 cut through the darkness. Since Sakura was with him, Kyousuke kept his speed at the absolute minimum.
The night sky was moonless, and away from Tokyo's dazzling lights, the stars above shone even brighter.
Sakura hugged Kyousuke tightly, resting her cheek against his back as she gazed up at the endless expanse of stars.
"Careful, Sakura."
Feeling her shift behind him, Kyousuke called out.
"Kyousuke… tell me…" Her voice drifted softly in the night air.
Maybe it was just the way her head was tilted, but…
Kyousuke felt like there was something different about her tone.
"Alright, alright! I'll talk, just sit still first!"
"Haha, Kyousuke, you're such an idiot. I haven't even asked anything yet—what are you planning to say?"
Sakura's crisp laughter rang out, echoing along the empty highway. It was as if the cold of the late night had been driven away.
"Tell me, do you think someone like Celty is one of a kind in this world?"
Her laughter faded, and her voice became distant, almost ethereal.
"What, meeting Celty wasn't enough for you? Now you're looking for more of her kind?" Kyousuke asked, puzzled.
"Mm-hmm~" Sakura shook her head, letting out a small hum through her nose before falling silent.
Kyousuke didn't answer, but she didn't really expect one either.
Lowering her head, she leaned her helmet against his back and drifted into thought.
As a child, she never quite understood why Kyousuke insisted on making her run every day, why he always made sure she ate the healthiest foods, or why he was so reluctant to let her do anything remotely dangerous.
Back then, she used to tease him for being a coward.
But as time passed and they spent more time together, as more things happened between them, she began to notice something—
Kyousuke acted completely differently around her than he did with others.
When faced with a group of kids his age, he could make several of them cry without taking a single step back.
If a bully was picking on someone, he'd send them flying with a single kick. Even when up against dozens of Takemichi gang members, he handled them effortlessly and ended up becoming their leader.
Yet, when it came to her, he was always cautious—so overly careful that he seemed terrified of letting anything, no matter how small, hurt her.
Like that time in Ikebukuro, when Sakura had asked him whether he could take on someone as strong as Heiwajima Shizuo.
He had laughed it off, saying it wouldn't be a problem, but at the same time, he had quietly pulled her to safety, ensuring she was well out of harm's way.
Sakura was convinced—if she was present, no matter how dangerous the situation was, Kyousuke's first instinct would always be to retreat rather than confront the threat.
And she liked that. She liked seeing him so anxious about her well-being. She enjoyed the feeling of being cherished and protected.
But then, a thought crept into her mind—
Why?
Why had he been so protective of her from the very first moment they met?
As a child, Sakura had entertained a theory—maybe Kyousuke was a bodyguard hired by her father to protect her.
She had even gone to her mother to ask, only to be met with a chuckle.
"You're such a silly girl. Where would you even find a bodyguard that young?"
At first, she thought that made sense, but then she argued back—"What about the anime with baby bodyguards who still drink from bottles?"
Her mother, Yamauchi Makoto, had been momentarily speechless at her quick thinking.
After a pause, she countered, "Alright, then what do you think Aunt Mikiko's role would be?"
"She's in charge of supplying equipment and logistical support for Kyousuke, of course!" Sakura had answered without missing a beat.
"Fine, then. If you want to think of Kyousuke as your bodyguard, go ahead. Just remember to listen to him for your own safety," her mother had said with a smile.
And so, for the next few months, Sakura and Kyousuke had played a "bodyguard" game.
Kyousuke had no idea how or why he had been assigned this role, but seeing the little girl so obedient and serious about it, he went along with it anyway.
Eventually, she had forgotten about the whole thing.
Every morning, the first person she saw—aside from her family—was always Kyousuke.
If she stayed up too late watching TV and couldn't get up in the morning, then the first person she saw all day was him.
Habits are terrifying things.
Little by little, she had grown used to his protection. She had grown used to the way he treated her like something precious. She had forgotten to question why.
Besides, as Sakura always believed—life is short. Why waste time on things that make people unhappy?
Maybe Kyousuke had just known from an early age that she would grow up to be a stunning beauty and had claimed her early.
That thought made her giggle to herself. But soon, her heart grew heavy.
Her last health checkup results had been perfect. She was one of the healthiest girls in the entire country.
And yet—
One day, a strange thought had crossed her mind.
What if... Kyousuke had always known that she was destined to die young?
What if that was the reason he was so obsessed with her health?
It was an absurd idea—one that only someone like her, with a mind full of strange and whimsical thoughts, could come up with.
But the more she compared it with everything Kyousuke had done, the more it made sense.
Even the things he always made her eat—papaya, yam, all those supposedly "healthy" foods—if she thought about it, they might hint at what kind of illness she was meant to have.
Haha. That sounded ridiculous.
Knowing what disease you'll get in the future?
How bizarre.
Still, she didn't feel the need to confirm it with Kyousuke. If it was him, then nothing was too strange to believe.
So what next?
She'd keep studying, keep sharing school stories with Kyousuke and her parents, keep practicing the etiquette she learned.
She'd go shopping with friends, buy cute little accessories, sneak in some "forbidden" junk food that would definitely make Kyousuke freak out.
What else could she do?
Cry and scream, raging against fate?
That sounded exhausting. She'd rather save her energy and go on more dates with Kyousuke.
Or maybe spend more time with her parents. With Aunt Mikiko.
They would be devastated if she were gone.
Aunt Mikiko would probably cry for an entire month.
The mental image made her chuckle. She couldn't hold it in—soft giggles spilled out before she could stop them.
"Sakura, what are you laughing about?" Kyousuke asked, feeling the movement against his back.
"Hehe, that's a secret," she said playfully.
Her laughter grew even brighter.
The warmth of her breath seeped through his shirt, making his back feel oddly hot.
Kyousuke didn't think much of it and kept his focus on the road.
Sakura always found a way to amuse herself.
She had accepted the idea of her unknown fate in silence—until she heard about Celty.
A person who continued to exist after death, wandering the world in search of her missing head.
When Sakura first heard the story, she was stunned.
Wasn't this perfect for her?
If she became like Celty, then even after death, she could still eat all the food she wanted without restrictions!
And if Kyousuke dared to stop her, she'd just use Celty's black mist to tie him up and force-feed him too!
Too bad.
Dullahans weren't something just anyone could become.
She had asked Celty herself. Even pretended she just wanted to try out Celty's motorcycle so she could ride with her.
And then, she had asked—
Was she really the only Dullahan?
Was there any way for a human to become one?
Could she be a headless rider with a detachable head, so she could still eat?
Celty had been visibly shaken by her questions.
But, just as Kyousuke had said, she was a very kind person.
She had answered her seriously—yes, she was the only Dullahan. No, humans didn't turn into them after death. And even she herself hadn't figured out how to get her head back.
Then, in a gentle voice, Celty had told her—
"You shouldn't be so curious about the world after death. The world you have now is a beautiful one."
Yes.
The world was beautiful.
There was Kyousuke.
There was Kyousuke's cooking.
There were her parents. Aunt Mikiko.
But still—
Sakura had smiled, bright and cheerful, and promised Celty that she would never do anything reckless.
And Celty had promised not to tell Kyousuke.
———————————————————————
Daily Uploads!
Unlock bonus chapters by reaching specific milestones with [Power Stone] votes!
Please support me at p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL to access more than 50 advanced chapters. Q-Q